"He Had the Lightest Touch in a Heavy Town."
The unintentional shooting by police of a star basketball player has profound personal, political and community repercussions in this acclaimed adaptation of the novel Hog Butcher by Ronald Fair. This was one of the more thoughtful urban dramas produced at the height of the "blaxploitation" craze. Also released under the title Hit the Open Man, it features the screen debut of Laurence Fishburne, who was barely a teenager at the time.
Benjamin Blackwell

Sarah Robinson

Officer Larry Atkins

Leona Hamilton

Wilford Robinson

Charlie

One-Eye

Deputy Coroner

Officer John Golich
Fred Jenkins

Sgt. Danaher

Sam Hamilton

Earl Carter

Nathaniel 'Cornbread' Hamilton

Ace

Watkins

Shifty
Mr. Wilson

Mr. Johnson

Jack
Mrs. Parsons

Det. Simmons
Det. Kelly

Diane
Mr. Carter
Stud
Edna

Morgue Man (as Tommy Maier)
Man

Store Manager

Al
Bailiff